Portable testing and comparing instrument for electric incandescent lamps.



No. 756,976. PATENTED APR. 12. 1904. A. MOCANDLISH. PORTABLE TESTING AND COMPARING INSTRUMENT FOR ELECTRIC INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1903. no MODEL. 2 sums-sum 1.

2 A fii 'in'ii! WW numlll's "Hi Ill-um A TTORNEYS No. 756,976. PATENTED APR. 12, 1904* r A. MoGANDLISH. PORTABLE TESTING AND COMPARING INSTRUMENT FOR ELECTRIC INGANDESGENT LAMPS.

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* mmmimnnmm 'a lwu lumll i Patented April 12, 1904.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT MGCANDLISH, OF GEORGE LANE, BREDBURY, ENGLAND.

PORTABLE TESTING AND COMPARING INSTRUMENT FOR ELECTRIC INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 756,976, dated April 12, 1904.

Application filed June 26, 1903. Serial No. 163,184. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT McCANDLIsH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at George Lane, Bredbury, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Testing and Comparing Instruments for Electric Incandescent Lamps, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable'those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a portable testing and comparing instrument for electric incandescent lamps which is con- Venient to carry, may be attached to an electric circuit instantly, and whereby an incandescent lamp of any make may be readily and accurately compared with any known standard lamp, a further object being to provide an instrument of the class described wherein the lamps may be readily passed or removed and where the energy in watts required to efficiently light either lamp may be ascertained.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portable casing provided with my apparatus, both ends of which are hinged; Fig. 2, an end view of Fig. l with the hinged end in a raised position; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, 1, and Fig. 4: a section on the line 4 4: of Fig. 1,

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown at a a casing composed of wood or other material provided with hinged covers 6 and c at'either end thereof and said casing a; being also provided with a handle (0 Within the casing a; and slightly above the bottom thereof I place a false bottom 0?, upon which is mounted a direct-reading springcontrolled watt or ampere meter (0*, which is preferably adjacent to the end member 6, and adjacent to the end member 0 and laterally arranged is a vertical partition member (0 Which is exactly in the middle of said casing 5 and extends to a predetermined point near the center thereof, and in practice I prefer to cover the inner side of the casing a and both sides of the member a with black cloth or paint.

On either side of the member a and exactly in the middle of the compartments formedthereby I mount lamp-sockets d and c, provided with a quick break-switch d and 6 respectively, and these lamp-sockets a; and e are adapted to hold any of the well-known incandescent lamps and may be of any suitable construction.

Beneath the false bottom a adjacent to the member-6 of the casing a and in the middle of tom a and on either side of the handle member f and on the member f are wound coil springs f and f and the ends of the rod f are preferably beveled, as shown at f From this construction it will be seen that the rod f may be moved transversely of the casing by means of the handle member f, and when said handle member f is released the springs f and f operate to force the said bar f into its normal position.

In a transverse line with the bar f and adjacent to either side of the casing to are arranged holders 9 and g upon which are mounted spring-plates g and 9*, respectively, and the plates 9 and g extend inwardly to a position adjacent to the corresponding ends of the bar f and it will be seen if the bar f 2 be moved in either direction the beveled surface f thereof will engage the corresponding spring-plates g and 9* and make electrical contact therewith and at the same time depress said spring-plate from its normal position.

Near the center of the spring-plates g and g are arranged contacts hand k respectively, which normally bear against the spring-plates g and g and connected with the contacts h and 72 are electrical conductors h and h, respectively, which are connected with a wire 71 which in turn is connected to a bindingpost it of the ordinary construction, and on the opposite side of the casing a is similarly arranged a binding-post Connected with the holder g is a wire 2', which passes into the socket or lamp-holder d-to one pole, and connected with the other pole of the lamp-holder d is a wire 2' which passes transversely across the casing a and longitudinally thereof and is connected with the binding-post if, and the binding-posts h and it serve as connections for the Wires of an ordinary electric-light circuit.

Connected with the holder 9 is aWire 11 which passes to one pole of the lamp-holder e, and connected with the other pole thereof is a wire i which is connected to the wire i In electrical connection with the wire 70 is a wire 70, which passes to one of the poles of the Watt or ampere meter a and to the other pole thereof is secured a wire in which is connected at its other end to the slidably-movable rod f and in the lamp holders or sockets d and e are placed lamps k and 70 respectively, and in the operation of my apparatus I preferably place a well-known Standard lamp in the socket or holder d, and the lamp to be tested is placed in the socket or holder 6.

When my apparatus is connected With an electric-light circuit by means of the bindingposts h and b the current passes through the wires if and if to the contact it, through the spring-plate g to the holder 9, through Wire 71, lamp-socket d, and if the switch thereof be on through the lamp is, wire 2' to the binding-post it, and out, and the lamp 76 is thereby actuated. The current passing through the wire if also passes into the wire it and contact if through the spring-plate g and holder 9 wire 2' into the socket or holder 6, and if the switch is on through the lamp 70*, wire r, wire 21 to the binding-post if, and it will be seen that the lamp 7c is also actuated.

When the handle member f is forced to the left, the rod f makes electrical contact with the spring-plate g and depresses the same, thereby breaking connection with the contact h, and the current then passes through the wire k wire 70, watt or ampere meter a, wire Z9 rod f spring-plate g holder g, wire 7,, lamp k wire 2' to the binding-post b and out, and the amount of energy necessary to efficiently light the lamp k can thereby be read on the meter (6*.

When the handle member f is forced to the right, the bar f makes contact with the spring-plate g forcing the same away from the contact if, and the current then passes through the wires k and 70, meter 64*, wire k rod f spring plate 9 holder g wire 2' lamp 70', wire 7 Wire 2' to the binding-post h and out, and the amount of energy to efiiciently light the lamp is can thereby be read on the meter (0*.

It will therefore be seen that the reading of the ampere or Watt meter with reference to either the lamp X0 or is is determined by the -direction in which the handle member f is forced, for the reason that when the handle member f and bar f thereof are forced in either, direction the corresponding springplate breaks connection with its corresponding contact and the current passes through the circuits heretofore described.

- By means of this construction it will be seen that the relative brilliancy of the lamp being tested and the Standard lamp can be determined by the eye, while the energy necessary to light either one or the other may be read on the meter (4.

When the lamp is has been tested, it may be readily removed and another one inserted, and this operation may be repeated as often as desired, and in the construction of my apparatus I may make the casing a with a collapsible top, thereby being more portable, and various other changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A portable testing and comparing instrument for an electric incandescent lamp, comprising a casing, a plurality of lamp-sockets mountedtherein adjacent to one end thereof, a watt or ampere meter in said casing adja cent to the other end thereof, electrical conductors in communication with said lampsockets and said wattmeter and means for connecting said instrument with an ordinary electric-light circuit, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing both ends of which are hinged thereto, a coating of black material on the inner side of said casing, a laterally-arranged partition at one end of said casing, a plurality of electric-lamp sockets adjacent thereto and on either side thereof, a watt or ampere meter in the other end of said casing, an electric lamp in each of said sockets, and means for energizing said lamps and said Watt or ampere meter, substantially as shown and described.

3. In adevice of the class described, acasing both ends of which are hinged thereto, a partition-plate laterally arranged in one end of said casing, an electric-lamp socket adjacent thereto and on either side thereof, a watt or ampere meter in the other end of said casing, a positive and negative binding-post adjacent to said watt or ampere meter, a spring-operated slidably-movable transversely-arranged bar in the end of said casing adjacent to said binding-posts, a spring-plate mounted insaid casing one, either side of said movable bar and adapted to make electric contact therewith, a contact-point normally in connection with each of said spring-plates, electrical conductors connecting said electrical lamps, watt or ampere meter, binding-posts, contact-points, springplates and movable bar, substantially as shown and described.

4. A device ot the class described, comprising a casing each end of which is hinged thereto, a plurality of lamp-sockets mounted therein, an electric lamp in each of said sockets, a watt or ampere meter at the opposite end of said casing, a slidably-movable bar adjacent to said watt or ampere meter, spring-plates adjacent to said slidably-movable bar and adapted to make electrical contact therewith, a positive'and negative binding-post adjacent to said meter, contactpoints normally in electrical communication with said spring-plates and electrical conductors connecting said lamps, meter, binding post, slidably movable bar, spring-plates and cpntacts consisting of a Wire connecting the positive binding-post on one side of said casing with the contact-points adjacent thereto, said wire also being connected with one pole of said meter, a wire connecting another pole of said meter with said slidablymovable bar, a wire connecting one of said spring-plates with one of said lamp-sockets, a lamp placed therein, a wire connecting the other of said spring-plates with the other of said lamp-sockets a lamp therein and a wire connecting said lamp-sockets and lamps with the negative binding-posts in said casing, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 4th day of May, 1903.

ALBERT MQOANDLISH.

Witnesses:

O. MARSHALL, EEDoN A. KING. 

